


Once More, With Feeling

by Aoife



Series: Do-Over [1]
Category: Honor Harrington Series - David Weber
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Book: A Rising Thunder, Book: Mission of Honor, Gen, Time Travel (Unknown Cause)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-02
Updated: 2013-05-04
Packaged: 2017-11-03 11:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/380798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Aoife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time stutters and the impossible happens. This is Honor Harrington after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the [](http://fan-flashworks.dreamwidth.org/profile)[](http://fan-flashworks.dreamwidth.org/)**fan_flashworks** Prompt #7: "Do Over". Spoilers through "A Rising Thunder" to be safe. If you know what the Yawata Strike is, I've not spoilt anything.

And Captain Honor Harrington, Commanding Officer HMS Fearless can remember being Admiral Lady Dame Honor Alexander-Harrington, Duchess and Steadholder Harrington, Commanding Officer Grand Fleet (and exactly how she came to be that person - some of which she'd dearly love to forget). It has a dream like quality to it, but the muscle memory is there as well, because she's certainly never learnt Grayson-style fencing.

So she knows what awaits her on the other-side of the hyper wall ... and there are some things she can't change, because they've already happened - Masada still has a Peep destroyer and a battlecruiser. Admiral Courvosier is dead and the survivors of Madrigal are being tortured to death on Blackbird.

Duchess and Steadholder Harrington's instincts are a bit different from Honor's own (and she won't let all that happened to make her that woman happen) and she might as well start making the changes now. Bringing the squadron through the Alpha wall at full battle stations and smacking the Masadans LACs would make a nice first payment and not allowing Thomas Theisman's Breslau to pull off the close range missile attack at Blackbird would be a second (Admiral Alexander-Harrington liked the man, but Honor Harrington would be damned if he was going to be allowed to do that much damage to Apollo and Troubador).

The Battle of Blackbird was going to change as well - and loosing an eye protecting Benjamin Mayhew is certainly not in her plans either (but that's a dinner she still intends to make happen - she likes Grayson-that-maybe - and Benjamin's the key to that - even if the price she has to pay is picking up her Key again - that won't be much of a hardship). If she was really lucky, what's due to happen in Yeltsin's Star would end up with Tom and Alfredo in Grayson service (She really doesn't want to face either of them in battle).

Captain Honor Harrington is not sure which of Admiral Lady Dame Honor Alexander-Harrington's memories will haunt her the most - Hades, the Yawata Strike or learning who was responsible for the entire damn mess. And she's not sure if the loss of her children and her husband and wife are a price she'd have been willing to pay if anyone had bothered to ask her.

(This time, if Benjamin still gave her the Key, she was going to acquiesce graciously to Andrew La Follet's position as her personal armsman. There were other things it would be more important to fight. Once she had made sure she could still perform the same tricks with a duelling pistol, Pavel Young on the duelling grounds at Landing rather appealed, even if she did have a sneaking suspicion that she and Paul wouldn't be happening this time.)

She knows Mesa's the enemy this time. And she knows how to collapse the Solarian League.


	2. Chapter 2

There is a risk, that if she tries to change things too quickly, and too soon, it will invalidate the memories that she has appeared to have gained, and with some events that her otherself, now fading into a quiet voice at the back of her mind, was insistent needed to happen. 

She couldn't quite believe the memory of standing on the flag bridge of HMS Imperator, with Tom Theisman at her side, while she commanded a force consisting of a combination of Grayson, Havenite and Manticoran units defending the Star Kingdom's home system from attack by the Solarian League. 

The fact that she also now knew who was 'commanding' the two modern warships in Masada's order of battle, and of the existence and nature of the base on Blackbird was disconcerting, because she had no way of explaining her knowledge, which meant that she was going to have to let some of her people die. There was an outside chance that she might be able to reduce the the death count significantly, but there were no guarantees and Alexander-Harrington's memories of the events of the next couple of days were more than 20 years old, although she had gamed out the scenario multiple times while she was the commandant of the ATC, and it was one of the favourite battles of the "Introduction to Tactics" course she had taught (would teach?) at the Island.

Unfortunately she was still stuck, potentially, taking a heavy cruiser, light cruiser, and a destroyer up against a battlecruiser. The fastest she could summon help, if she sent either Troubador or Apollo, was 4 days. The personnel being held prisoner on Blackbird base certainly didn't have that long, and she had no real idea what Saladin and Breslau's movements looked like.

She could, she supposed, start by tweaking her baby Squadron's point of entry into Grayson space bringing them close enough to Uriel that she might catch the Masadans' ships and the Breslau unawares. That would also have the advantage, hopefully, of avoiding some, any, or all of the battle damage her ships had suffered the first time round.

Honor swallowed, opened her eyes and made a choice; and a quiet voice at the back of her mind whispered “Tester help us," as Honor began to pass her orders.

––

“Skipper …"

“Yes, Rafe?"

"I appear to have a Bastogne-class destroyer on the recon drone closest to Uriel, ma'am."

“Are you sure about that, Rafe?"

“CIC confirms ma'am. Should I see if I can get the drone in closer?"

“Yes Mr Cardones, -"

“Capt," Honor span around. Her communication officer's face was white with shock. “I think you better hear this ma'am. It's from Ambassador Langtry." 

Honor bit her lip. “Throw it up on the main screen, Lt."

"Captain Harrington." The ambassador's voice was taut. "Grayson Command Central has just picked up a hyper footprint which I assume—hope—is your squadron. Be advised Masadan warships are patrolling the Yeltsin System. Assume any ship encountered is hostile, Captain, and be advised there are at least two—I repeat, at least two—modern warships in the Masadan order of battle. Our best estimate is that they're a pair of cruisers, probably Haven-built." The ambassador swallowed, but he'd been a highly decorated Marine officer, and he carried through grimly. "No one realized the Masadans had them, and Admiral Yanakov and Admiral Courvosier took the Grayson fleet out to engage the enemy four days ago. I'm . . . afraid Madrigal and Austin Grayson were lost with all hands—including Admirals Courvosier and Yanakov. We're in serious trouble down here, Captain," Langtry's recorded voice went on. "I don't know why they've held off this long, but nothing Grayson has left can possibly stop them. Please advise me of your intentions as soon as possible. Langtry clear."

Nimitz's tail wrapped tightly around her neck, as the emotions on HMS Fearless' bridge lashed at them both. Despite already having known what was waiting for her, her heart still ached and it took her a moment to get herself back under control.

“Well that explains the Bastogne-class destroyer, ladies and gentlemen. Joyce standby to record a message to Ambassador Langtry,"

"Record for transmission, Lieutenant Metzinger," she said in a voice that only those who had been with her at Basilisk had heard from her before.

"Ambassador Langtry," Honor said in that same, deadly voice. "Your message is received and understood. Be advised that my squadron is preparing to engage what I now assume to be one of the Havenite built ships in the Masadan order of battle."

She inhaled again, feeling her officers' and ratings' eyes on her.

"Until I have complete information, it will be impossible to formulate detailed plans, but you may inform the Grayson government that I intend to defend this system in accordance with Admiral Courvosier's apparent intentions. Please have a complete background brief waiting for me. In particular, I require an immediate assessment of Grayson's remaining military capabilities and assignment of a liaison officer to my squadron. I will meet with you and the senior Grayson military officer in the Embassy within ten minutes of entering Grayson orbit. Harrington clear."

“On the chip, captain."

“Send the message Lieutenant Metzinger, and then contact Commanders McKeon and Truman and set up a conference; tie their coms in to my briefing room's terminal, and make sure they both have copies of the ambassadors message."

“Mr Cardones, use as many drones as you need to, but I need to know if there is any sign of ships other than that Bastogne. Understood?"

“Yes, skipper."

“Andy, you have the bridge. Take us up to battle stations as soon as you see fit, and keep me informed. I'll be in the briefing room discussing matters with Commanders McKeon and Truman."

"Aye, aye skipper." Honor turned and held out her arms to Nimitz who lept into them from the back of her command chair before walking off the bridge.

\--

The GQ alarm wailed on all 3 ships almost simultaneously, and their respective stewards each appeared within shot a handful of moments later. “Alice, Alistair, we best be about it." Each disappeared off of their respective com screens, and she took her skin suits from a steward and climbed into it.

\--

Honor exited her pinnace, with Thomas Theismann and several Marines in unpowered body armour. She, herself was armed with a pulser, and Nimitz's claws was slightly unsheathed and were digging into the reinforced shoulder pad. As Alexander Harrington whispered in the back of her mind even though she had already taken out Tom Theismann's Breslau and a good portion of the remainder of the Masadan fleet, only ambassador Langtry, Reginald Houseman (and she's tempted to start by slugging the man, just to get it out of the way) and a familiar Grayson in the blue on blue of Alexander-Harrington's second Navy's uniform ( _and Tester take them all, I honestly thought that taking out so much of the Masadan Navy even before we made planet fall might have actually got Admiral Garrett's attention!_ ).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Langtry's speech in this chapter leans _heavily_ on the actual speech in the Honor of the Queen.


End file.
